5
Nov, 2021
Surrender to what is, be OK with what is

Surrender to what is

Can you be okay with how things are?

They don’t have to stay as they are, in fact there is nothing more certain than change anyway, but for this moment now can you simply surrender?

Or do you feel the need for control?

Having a human mind means having a want to control, a desire to know and be certain about things. And yet control really is an illusion.  Yes we have a degree of personal agency, but the bigger picture is always just what it is, regardless of how we would like to control and manage it.

Surrender happens when you no longer question ‘why me?’

We could well ask instead, ‘why not me?’.

We can be annoyed when things don’t go the way we think they should, can’t we? Have you seen that in yourself? Sometimes it is easier to see in other people’s situations.

An alternative response is to surrender to the reality of the moment.

When we surrender to ‘what is’ we no longer ‘argue with reality’ and can find a place of acceptance, and then funnily enough we have better capacity to deal with whatever it is we have to deal with. We find a way to be OK.

‘Surrender’ is a wonderful mantra for meditation, and for life! One of the tracks on my Shavasana CD and digital recording is a Surrender meditation – you can get it right now here.

Have you practiced surrendering?  What have you found?

While considering the idea of surrender, you might also be interested to read ‘The Surrender Experiment’ by Michael Singer. A book and author I have only come across in the last couple of years: https://untetheredsoul.com/

Much more meaning than is teased out here can be taken from these cards, this is just a starting point.

You can purchase your own set of these ‘Yoga off the mat, contemplations to enrich your practice’ cards from the store HERE.

The gorgeous original picture on the front of each card is by Gayle Stone Art.

*If you are interested in the possibility of surrender and experiencing more inner freedom in your life, then my online course Fluff-free freedom might be just perfect for you. Find out more HERE

1
Jul, 2020
Yoga off the mat contemplation cards to inspire your practice

Surrender doesn’t mean no discipline or no passion

The practice of surrender truly is a practice of yoga that can awaken us to the experience of profound inner freedom. I really have found that it is.

I know that word ‘surrender’ can sound scary but really it isn’t at all.

It is true acceptance and okay-ness right here and now. And it doesn’t mean nothing will change.

The practice of surrender has helped me a lot in living my life. Find somewhere safe and quiet and practice surrendering your thoughts. Let them go, drop back from them. Stick at it regularly and there you will find love and bliss.

Not thoughts about love and bliss, but a no-thought state where the experience is one of love and bliss and inner freedom.

The Yoga Sutras talk about the practice of Isvara pranidhana, surrender to God, or to a greater power, or to the Universe, or a higher source. Isvara pranidhana is one of the 5 Niyamas or inner observances to practice on a path to experiencing the freedom that yoga offers. There is nothing that you have to believe though, simply practice surrendering to what is.

Surrendering into stillness, into flow, into a state of profound quiet and bliss and love does not mean we have no agency over the way we live our life.

Surrendering to what is right now does not mean we can’t work towards changing things for the future.

It does not mean we don’t have any discipline in life.

Actually it takes a certain amount of discipline, ironically a level of focus and strength of mind, to be willing and able to let the thoughts go.

To drop back from the mind that always wants to know and control. Practicing surrender to simply ‘what is’ does not mean we become a doormat because things are going to unfold anyway. In this context it does not mean flying the white flag.

We do have choice and practicing surrender doesn’t negate choice.

It doesn’t negate using the gifts we have.

Practicing surrender also doesn’t mean there is no point in being passionate if there are things you are passionate about. If you passionately work towards something and that thing doesn’t work out, practice being okay with that. On the other hand, perhaps that thing does work out.

Surrender to being okay whatever the outcome, but follow the passion anyway.

Much more meaning than is teased out here can be taken from these cards, this is just a start. I’d love your feedback and look out for my blog about the next card soon.

You can purchase your own set of these ‘Yoga off the mat, contemplations to enrich your practice’ cards from the store HERE and postage is free in Australia. They make a perfect gift too.

The gorgeous original picture on the front of each card is by Gayle Stone Art.

13
May, 2020

Living a surrendered life is not the same as being a doormat

This card has been pulled as our contemplation in class a few times recently.  

The word ‘surrender’ sometimes freaks people out, but bear with me while I try and explain why really it is a powerful practice.

Surrendering to ‘what is’ might seem a bit wishy-washy, but it is the work of being present and fully in the moment.

It is acceptance of the reality of this moment.

When you are not complaining and arguing with the reality of any moment, you are free to be in the experience of fully living it.

How true this is in our current situation of pandemic and isolation? If we spend all our time complaining about the new rules and regulations (which in essence are there for our collective good) we can miss the opportunity to be at home both physically but also mentally with ourselves, to be less rushed, to explore new ways of connecting, and perhaps make some changes for the better.

We can make time to listen to the inner voice that we might be in the habit of squashing down in all our busyness.

That is not the same as being a doormat, a pushover, a weakling that just accepts without question. 

No it is freeing, because we can feel into the flow of life and slow down enough to listen.

We can recognise that yes we have personal agency in our life. We can listen to that voice in our head, we can make decisions, we can do things. We can choose the level of personal control within any situation.

Something I have noticed about surrendering, is that when my actions feel like they are in alignment with my dharma, with the universal big picture, then things will flow. They will come more easily.

When I am arguing with reality, then everything is a battle.

Which do you choose?

Much more meaning than is teased out here can be taken from these cards, this is just a start. I’d love your feedback and look out for my blog about the next card soon.

You can purchase your own set of these ‘Yoga off the mat, contemplations to enrich your practice’ cards from the store HERE and postage is free in Australia. They make a perfect gift too.

The gorgeous original picture on the front of each card is by Gayle Stone Art.